Central New York and the birth of the Oneida County Freedom Trail

The Underground Railroad was more than a route to freedom; it was a movement that transcended the lines of race and gender -- not just nationally, but here in Oneida County. The county's efforts along the freedom trail highlighted the cooperation of free and enslaved groups -- Black, white, men, women who pushed New York state and the nation one step closer to universal freedom.

Visit the Oneida County History Center to see this unique exhibit about the Underground Railroad. This exhibit highlights how abolitionist sentiments emerged and grew in central New York with the Oneida Institute while also spotlighting a few of Utica's own developments in the freedom struggle, including the Utica Riot, Utica Rescue, and Post Avenue settlements.

The Oneida County History Center was founded in eighteen seventy six and has served since that time to collect, preserve and make accessible the past heritage of Oneida County and the upper Mohawk River Valley. 

From the Battlefield at Oriskany to the Boilermaker Road Race of today, from the Native Americans who first called this land home to the farmers and Patriots who shaped local and national destinies, Oneida County has a remarkable history - filled with important events and fascinating figures. We continue to make history every day. From the Battlefield at Oriskany to the Boilermaker Road Race of today, from the Native Americans who first called this land home to the farmers and Patriots who shaped local and national destinies, Oneida County has a remarkable history - filled with important events and fascinating figures. We continue to make history every day.